A new collaboration between All India Permit and Bonne Suits has turned the all-purpose suit into a travelling canvas, a living exhibition that celebrates and preserves the heritage and craft of Indian truck art. The limited edition run of twenty-one unique suits were flown out to India where four truck and sign artists — Chandu Sontake, Raj Dongre, Akhlaq Ahmad and Kafeel Ahmed Ansari — collaborated with Farid Bawa to create artworks on the jackets, infusing a classic Dutch design with rich Indian heritage. The suits were then modelled by the truck yard workers and drivers, with photography shot on location in Nagpur to allow the team to both meet the truckers and document their work. The resulting collection and photo exhibition will be shown at Galerie De Schans from 28th April to 14th May. We’re in conversation with Farid Bawa and Bonne Reijn, who let us in on their collaboration, creative process and more.
Tell us about some of your initial thoughts for the truck art suits. What inspired this collaboration in particular?
Farid Bawa: I met Bonne at one of the brand's open castings, and it was an instant connection. Our shared passion for art, culture and mutual appreciation for each other's creativity led to a natural partnership. The uniform nature of Bonne Suits provided the perfect canvas for Indian truck and sign artists to showcase their work!
Take us through the creative process. How did you manage to get in touch with the truck and sign artists? What was the experience like working with them?
FB: We curated Chandu Sontake, Raj Dongre, Akhlaq Ahmad, and Kafeel Ahmed Ansari for this project. I have been collaborating with these brilliant artists for over four years on various projects. After developing creative concepts for the suits, I approached each artist based on their unique style that would complement the concept. With full creative freedom, they elevated the ideas by using the suits as their canvas.
How easy/difficult was it to infuse such a rich visual heritage with the Dutch design language and to find a balance between the two?
Bonne Reijn: The Bonne Suit is a versatile, genderless uniform that is intentionally designed to be inclusive for all bodies, ages, and genders. Its uniformity serves as an ideal canvas for the artists at All India Permit to freely express their creativity through various paints, materials, and unique expressions to create stunning works of wearable art.
Finally, what's keeping you busy right now?
BR: Farid and I have more exciting projects lined up. As part of our collaboration, we worked together as a photography duo to document the truck yards and capture the entire collection of suits in Nagpur. Our creative synergy was undeniable, and we're looking forward to future opportunities to collaborate again. Along with the suits, our photo exhibition showcasing this collection will be on display at Galerie De Schans, Amsterdam from 28th April-14th May.
Date 05-05-2023
